Nikon issues service advisory on D600's dust issue

Nikon has released a service advisory for its D600 digital SLR. Based on user complaints, it addresses the widely-reported issue of dust and dirt accumulation on the camera's sensor. In the advisory, Nikon has belatedly acknowledged that at the point where dust becomes visible in images, 'removal may be difficult using normal measures' and advises customers who have exhausted conventional cleaning options to 'consult your nearest Nikon service center', whose technicians will 'examine the camera thoroughly, and service it as needed.'

Although the statement is short on detail - noticeably it offers no explanation of why the D600 specifically is affected in this way, it's good to see that Nikon has finally acknowledged that some D600 owners have indeed seen real problems with dust accumulation on their sensors, which are outside of the normal scope of expectations when using modern DSLRs.

We noted this issue in our in-depth review of the D600 last year (and have been asking Nikon for more information ever since), but apart from a general statement explaining that sometimes, DSLR sensors need cleaning, today's service advisory is the first time that Nikon has publicly addressed the problem.

Is your D600 in need of attention? See the links below.

This is what our D600's sensor looked like after one month of use. We covered this issue in our in-depth review of the D600, last year. Click here to read more.

Comments

I am about to send my D600 back for the 2nd time in 6 months. The camera had the shutter mechanism replaced but the spots are back and worse than before. I think when I get it back this time I will sell it on Ebay and switch to either Sony or Canon. I know all DSLR's have some dust issues but this is unacceptable. The sensor should not need to be factory cleaned every 2 months. Nikon either will not tell us what is really causing the issue or they just have no clue even after all this time. I have lost my faith in Nikon after 40 years. Shame on them.

I have the same issue. I think we all need to unite on this issue & take it consumer complaint plat form in our respective countries.I have been trying to find the Nikon Japan Director's email to send him the trail of mails that have been exchanged between me and Nikon & how shameless they have been. Do let me know what you think of my suggestion

I have the same experience. 40 years use of Nikon. And what do you receive for long term loyalty -- bumpkis. This is symptomatic of all large corporations -- deny everything. Take no responsibility. Assume you "are the best" and you take it or leave. Sony has finally suffered from this hubris.

The dust problem is persistent. It does not resolve after the first 1000 activations. Incidentally, warranties are useless.

I gave up on the D600 after the 3rd try in November. The second and third never left the house - inside shooting only, in a clean environment, but it made no difference. Same areas as the above photo, in all three cases, although significantly worse for two of them. I have been waiting for a response from Nikon, but one more along the line of "we've found the problem, replaced the faulty whatever", so that I could try it again - it was a magnificent camera for the price. This response from them is a disappointment.

I have had my D600 since Oct'12 and it is ready for 4th sensor clean with only 300 shots and 60 sensor marks- over one month since last 3rd clean. Nikon service [Sydney] did it under warranty for the first time after a major tirade from me. I have started providing a sensor map with spots marked. Using only one 28-300 lens throughout. The camera has the same use as D200, D300S and continuing use of a D7000 all of which need/needed sensor cleaning max.twice a year on average. I love the use and results of this camera but this is such a critical issue,esp. with enlarging for printing. Nikon's failure to address the issue and then put out their insulting service advisory dents their image tremendously. Nikon have bungled big time on this one. Sent email complaint Mon.March 29 to service centre and still have no reply. They must be buried in D600 sensors I reckon :)

I just bought a D600 yesterday and after shooting about 50 images the sensor was riddled with dustspots. i returned it to the retailer. He offered to replace but after opening another two D600 boxes, on inspection all cameras had dust spots on them, after attempting to blow them and BRUSH them off they were still there. The D600 is at Nikon's service center now with the following service descrtiption "SENSOR CLEANING - SPOT ON SENSOR" What an understatement!!

It is shocking that nothing has been done even now! Nikon's CEO should step down in my opinion.

1 Don't attempt to get the refund right away. Rather, send the camera for repairmen a few times at the beginning. The rule of thumbs is to return the camera once every two weeks, so your record is fresh and remembered by the support.

2. Ask a specific technician to serve you in your first visit. When you return the camera for subsequent repairmen, call him/her to serve you. This again helps the support to remember you.

3. Keep the repairmen doc and pictures of dust spots after each fix, bring them up repeatedly on each visit to show that they have yet fixed the issue.

Here was what they did for my case:

On the 1st and 2nd visit, they cleaned the sensor and checked the shutter.

On the 3rd visit, they replaced the shutter and cleaned the sensor.

On the 4th visit, they admitted to me that it was a manufacturing defect, and decided to refund me.

On the 5th visit, returned the camera to them and got my refund cheque.

Bought two new D600's for an assignment in north two weeks ago....tested both cameras....in the first hour of the first day, I noticed dust spots in the sky on LCD, got worse over the 4 day assignment....two days of cloning....see spots in landscapes in the sky....took both cameras back, picked up my D700's that I traded in...40 years with Nikon, never an issue.....sorry this camera needs to be recalled....I think they have made enough money over the years to recall and fix the problem on the line and give everyone a camera worthy of their great reputation...I will stay with Nikon but they need to deal with this....

bought my d600 just a few months back.... the spots are killing my timelapses... cant possibly clean each of the frames that go into the timelapse. Sadly am not a professional photographer who probably was making monies out of all this. Feel terribly cheated :(

My experience with D600 dust issue.I found sensor dust problem with my new Nikon D600, and sent the camera to Nikon service center in New York, thinking of a quick turnaround. The online status of repair turned to B1 repair category, "Parts Hold", the same status for a week now. I keep calling them asking for an expected time (ETA), and nobody seems to know.I spoke to the dealer where I purchased, and they said to get the camera back from Nikon, and return it to them for a replacement or money back, since their 30 day return date is closing. Requested Nikon to return without repair, and they won't return it without repair, nor give me an ETA. Apparently, it is against their policy to return cameras without getting them back to Nikon standards. A catch 22 situation.Many of my planned events are in Jeopardy now.The pictures of D600 are great though, but for this problem. It would have made Nikon in good standing, if they were little more responsive and proactive to this problem.

On a recent issue with Nikon related to quality issues with their professional line of lenses, I'm noticing here--again-- Nikon took a long time to address this D600 dust issue. In my mind Nikon has a public relations problem, and for my related issue as a dedicated customer I've found my esteem for them has dropped three notches. I don't know if I artificially held a higher regard for them or they really have slipped, but in my mind Nikon is running in the middle of the pack as a company dedicated to clarity, precision, and reliability. And still pointed backwards. Sorry to say.

Got mine a couple weeks ago, not a speck, and still not a speck. Either they fixed the problem or I was lucky and got a good model. I'm sure there are probably bad ones still floating around somewhere. Make sure you buy one from a reputable place and you'll probably be alright. http://mark-papke.artistwebsites.com/

I have never had any issues with dust on my D50 or D90 sensors. It really bothers me that Nikon does not clear up this issue. I want to buy the D600 to get the FF sensor, but I will not spend that amount of money on a camera that may or may not have issues from day one or after a certain amount of shutter releases. This is sad Nikon.

1. In what % (or %%) of d600 camera’s was &/ is this issue actually occurring? i.e., what is the chance if I buy such an expensive (for me) camera of being “hit” with the problem too?

2. Has the “root cause” of the issue been fully / partially resolved? i.e., is a late build (= high S/N) d600 model now less prone to (or immune from-) this problem compared to an early build (= low S/N) d600?

3. Finally, I see nothing in the official NIKON statement about an offer of replacement camera while my “dirty” d600 is in (and thus “unavailable” to the user) for service? Anyone got experience on this?

Exactly... When i sent my camera in the first time to get "cleaned" i asked them if they could assure me that my oil/dust problem would be resolved.. I had to ask a few times, but they never commented on that specifically.. They couldn't even assure me they could resolve the problem i was sending it in to get fixed for.

This is because they either don't want to admit there is a real problem, or they just don't know what it is, or they are trying to basically let the issue ride out until people stop complaining about it. I think that's juts appauling for a company producing top tier photography tools. It's obserd....

I found being rational with their front line to be such a waste of time too. They really (at the time) had no interest in assuring customers that they were capable of resolving this issue or that they were even looking into it..All i wanted to hear:.. "We know of the issue, and we are working on a solution" .. Many of you know they just deny there was a knwon issue.

Not a comforting response from Nikon as it leaves so many questions unanswered, especially whether the splattering issue will be resolved after the camera is serviced by Nikon.

I suspect that very often the legal departments in these companies have a large say in how an issue is handled or resolved. They wouldn't want to take on a liability that may result in the model series being a loss maker, given that margins are probably already thin. In addition, there may be settlement arrangements behind curtains between a part manufacturer and Nikon that impacts on how the issue is handled or resolved, e.g. quietly replacing the shutter mechanism if a unit is sent in for servicing, without any admission that the part was faulty. The alternative of a recall of the entire line or series is a lot more costly for them, & gives rise to warranty or other liability issues.

It's clearly a QC issue that could have been detected and resolved if sufficient time and trouble was spent before launch.

This sort of problem is wide-spread in the industry. Canon has recently reported almost the same thing for a couple of its DSLRs so I doubt anyone will avoid the issue by brand hopping. Mt D800 has remained perfectly clean but my Panasonic LX5 has oil spots and - no way to get in there yourself. A colleague with an LX5 also has oil spots too. He didn't notice them in his pictures until I pointed them out. Now he is miserable.

This is the digital camera's Achilles heel. With film you get a new sensor surface with every advance. With digital stuff just accumulates.

My point is that dust/oil spots are a common problem and not just with Nikon. This is a weakness in digital photography fundamental to the technology. My Sony snapshooter has picked up a few spots as well over the years. I am by no means attempting to defend Nikon's customer relations policy which so often involves attempts at "saving face" and evasion of accountability.

My D600 does NOT have a problem. I am now at 4200 exposures and with all this writing about dust and what-else I checked again today.

Please let me make it clear that I have never seen any dust in my D600 pictures. This certainly has something to do with two things:

1) is the fact that I use f-stops between f/1,4 and f/8 (- I have occasionally during my lifetime used f/11 but have never seen the reason for using f/16 or smaller - anyway, that's just me and I am sure your habits may differ)

It surprises me to see so much negativity over what certainly is an issue for some but certainly not for everybody who actually owns the camera.

Very few seem to have understood the greatness of the D600. It brings out qualities in my images I had never dreamed were possible, from ANY camera. In fact, so much that I started writing a blog about it; nikonsystem.blogspot.se

Yeah i have to agree with FreedomLover. Your lucky that you don't have the problem, but for the people who do, it's not fun.. (and there are a lot of us). We should be able to shoot greater than f8 without worrying... and yes i do own one. Don't forget this is a $2000 camera right?... Early adopters got stung and are paying for Nikon's QA costs and have been bluntly ignored for a legit wide spread problem.

Don't be surprised by the negativity, you would be upset too if you wanted to take serious photos but then had to photoshop oil spots out of your photos. Currently the only solution here is to wet clean the sensor frequently until hopefully it calms down... That's *not* fun man.. Nikon doesn't even recommend you clean your own sensor.. they suggest you send it in at your own cost/time even..

I just joking man, I think your serial no it's seem to late Unit as start with 6.I am here, Singapore S/N Start with 3 got sensor issue within not more then 200 SC that' I get the raw from Oil Sensor Owner.

I have shot with my DSLR for 9 years (using 5 different lens, 3 of them zoom lenses) and I had to clean the sensor 2 (two) times in that entire span (38,000 clicks). The D600 problems are a result of more than just ordinary dust caused by usage of the unit.

Nikon's reliability is coming close to Chinese products......Nikon did the same thing with P7000 which was a defective coolpix and they upgraded it to P7100 which is much better...If Nikon continues to do so then its helping Canon to take up the market......they should have called all the D600 with the issue and serviced / replaced it with a new one.....its reputation that counts.....we all use our hard earned money to buy such expensive stuff......

My lady friend has the L120 P&S from them, it runs on 2x AA batteries. When you pop in the batteries on the bottom and close the compartment cover, the spring from the inside puts tremendous pressure on the battery that then forever will try to push the door open. Well, it finally did it. The battery compartment latch broke.

Called Nikon, they told me something about an $80 repair and 3 weeks. So instead of that, she is no using duct tape to hold the door close. Nice design. Nikon.

Its definitely not from the production. Many of user reported having this after some usage. Its a design issue. e.g. parts rubbing and releasing micro fragments. The fragments is something that may not be removable by the ultrasonic sensor cleaner.

My D600 before had this marks but I didn't notice it after I bought it since there are no reports regarding this issue when I acquired it. By the way I bought my unit probably a week after it was release.

Why does this continue to be called a "dust" issue? From what I have read here it seems to be some sort of lubricant (oil) or debris from parts rubbing (scraping) against one another. There were pictures in one post (sorry I don't have the link) showing what appeared to be contact marks inside the mirror box. If it were simply "dust" why does it seem to accumulate at the same spot on the sensor? While cleaning oil and debris from the sensor may be a pain, I would think the real issue is what impact will this debris have long term on the shutter and mirror mechanisms. Will we see a rash of repairs down the road similar to the infamous D70 BGLOD?

And why only on the sensor and not the rest of the inside? Why does the lubricant oil/grease only smear the sensor causing dust to stick? Are there any photos of spots around the shutter or inside the mirror house? Links?

Yeah, that is exactly my point. Crud on the sensor is easy to detect since it shows in pictures. I would think crud in the shutter train would only be seen if you dis-assemble the shutter mechanism...same with the mirror mechanism.

You bring up an excellent point, is it also getting inside the camera where you can not see it?

But if you take off the lens you can see it. Specially the mirror. And according to the discusssion that is going on since some time, it should look like a buttered sandwich.Should we get the cheese and ham out or the maybe better the vacum cleaner?

One of my wet cleanings resulted in 3 black blobs on the SIDE of the swab which clearly did not come off the sensor itself. This announcement is a smoke screen to take the pressure off Nikon's faily sales.

"Recalls are usually only initiated if there's risk of bodily harm or death. Last time I checked nobody was maimed or killed by sensor gunk. On what grounds would you propose a class action suit be filed?"

Finally, we have someone here providing the official Nikon corporate position, so thanks for that, JD.

now I understand well, why there was high demand to my D700 when I put it on sale from internet.. :) due to high demand but not high price offerings I decided to keep it yet... I just need this great Sigma lens 35mm f1.4 :)

by the way, I remember sensor stain issue with Pentax K-5 which I replaced it with Nikon D700 and decided not to go any adventure other brand again (my fist one was Nikon D40 the good oldy or old goody).. However I see sh.t happens.. even for such big brands, tomorrow to Canon maybe.. so still there is no alternative to Nikon or Canon yet!

Just a tought for Fuji...which never recognized the sticky aperture issue with its Fuji X100.Mine is still blocked a full aperture...and I think will remain as such for my FIRST and very LAST Fuji product that I've had and will ever buy in my all Life.

I got sucked the same with an ACER computer in the past. I will never buy an ACER product again.

I know you can face problems with any brand...but at least there are brands which recognize their mistakes and take responsibility for it. Those are the brands I prefer to invest in, despite it cost me more sometimes.

I don't think you're ever going to find a manufacturer to satisfy your expectations. Admittedly, I worked for Fuji years ago and as such I had access to many models. Since then I've sho Fuji almost exclusively including 10 different PS models, 2 different "bridge"cameras, 4 S3 bodies and 4 S5 bodies, an X100, an X10, and X Pro 1 and most recently, 2 XE1 bodies. Out of all those cameras, only on S3 needed services because the CCD died and Fuji repaired it at no charge. Dismissing an entire brand because you've had bad luck with one model is premature at best.

I fail to understand why you didn't bring it in for servicing. It seems to me that when you bought it you surely felt good about the camera and that it was worth investing in and keeping. If you have a car that breaks, you fix it, whether on warranty or not - it shouldn't be any different for your camera. I'm just saying - personally, I don't like the x100 because of the 23mm lens - I'd prefer 35 or so - but that doesn't mean I don't see clear. And btw... this should have been posted under Fuji, should it not?

Further more, I never heard that they use oil in cameras. They use a special grease which is quite a different thing, and even IF they did grease a little too much, they´d do it with a few and not hundreds of cameras.NO! I think the main problem with this camera is a bunch of extremely envious Canon users who are constantly trying to degrade Nikon. (There are several postings who ad 6D for example). And that´s why I´ll stick to Nikon. The probs with D600 will soon be solved. Whatever the REAL prob is.Period!

1) I am not a "fanboy" either. I actually also own a Canon. And when it comes to cameras I still prefer a european make and film.2) Yes it is an issue. But what is it really about? Dust, oil or competition between manufacturers?Ive had both dig cams for almost 3 years and never had worse probs than the cam could fix itself. None of them has ever been in the repairshop. But the more I read about the D600 the more probs the D7k seems to have.But also true, after 2,5 years and more than 10k shots the D7k could do with a check and a bit of cleaning since I only use fixed lenses and change frequently. The other one is hardly used now adays so it doesn´t matter anymore. And the reason for sticking to Nikon has more to do with lenses than anything else. Too many to trade for another brand. Too much money to loose.

@ rrccadWhy so angry?Is the Canon "fanboy" in you revolting?PHOTOGRAPHERS have been fighting dust since they invented the whole thing. Dust is everywhere in the air. Have you checked the inside of your lungs? "Lensrentals" sounds like a company that rents out equipment. They usually get dirty gear in return.OF COURSE IT WILL BE SOLVED SOON! They are loosing money on this crap! Is that hard to understand?

they would also lose more money by issuing a statement that actually puts blame on where it should be - on them.

why are you so angry that you have to turn it onto a "fanboy" QQ fest?

this impacts the entire industry .. if someone purchases a DSLR and has a bad experience, odds are they will go to a mirrorless or just decide their camera phone is good enough.

so this isn't a nikon versus canon but something that really reflects on the entire industry as a whole.

dust randomly gets placed on the sensor - correct. splatters sampled from dozens of different bodies show it almost to be in exactly the same spot .. body independent .. want to calculate the odds of that occurring in nature?

and i'm sure shouting will help .. i mean that really goes a long way to prove your maturity :)

I never had any probs with my D7k, and I was one of the first to buy it in Sweden. That is, from the first batch. I also doubt that it should be oil since oil is rather sticky and when it dries, it sticks to the surface like glue. In that case you can´t clean it anymore. You´ll have to change the filter/sensor etc completely. The parts are just too sensitive to "rubbing". Even a wet clean has to be done very carefully.

Lucky you having a D7000 without the 'sensor dust' issue, mine was been with.

I claimed to the camera seller but he did not admit this issue, I wrote to Nikon France to resolve this problem, they said all I have to do is sending my camera body to their after-sales service to examine the camera (I must pay the shipping).

Finally, after reading many complains of D7000 users on the web, someone told me that 'sensor dust' problem was coming from the oily shuttle mechanism, meaning that was OIL spots on the sensor and not the dust - even sending the camera to Nikon for cleaning, this issue will back again after hundreds shoots (without changing lenses).

Instead of sending my camera to Nikon, the postal shipping cost was same price as a Photographic Solutions Survival Kit - I bought the cleaning kit and DO-IT-MYSELF, after 4 time to clean the sensor, that was better.

Surely that no one like to buy and bring home a new 'dusty' car to clean himself!

I don´t think they use oil inside cameras for one single reason. It runs. That´s why they use grease. But of course,theoretically, the grease can be made bad and be too liquid. But I still wonder if that is the problem since it´s only on the sensor. If it was oil/grease then the whole inside would be smeared with it. Like the mirror house for example.Also, the sensor can still get dusty even if you never change lens. My Canon prooves that since I only got the ceap box zoom.

I had the same issue of oil or whatever sticky liquid on my D7000 sensor too. I bought the camera in December 2010.

I noticed a lot of spots in August 2011 first. After I had to clean it up after every 100 or so shots using the Dust-Aid Wet Cleaning Kit, I finally sent the camera in to Nikon Germany via my retailer in March 2012. Nikon (or its service point) fixed it within a few weeks free of charge and I've experienced no problems since.

I remember that the service was billed as "AF module fixed" or so: No relation to the obvious quality problems of the mechanics that troubled the camera.

I had a bad issue with spots on my new D600. After a lot of cleaning attempts and frustration I now have what appears to be a clean sensor! I took several hundred jpegs of a blue sky and used in camera sensor clean 5 or 6 times until I could no longer see any dust (oil) spots. I used continuous shooting to rapidly take the pics thinking that this would encourage any splatter or residue to be flung onto the sensor until there was no more left! I'm hoping this has resolved the issue for me permanently. Thought this may help others to try the same "fix".

When you need to produce a new camera in short time to be competitive, something has to break and I guess its quality that broke. It’s the expectation of users that drives the makers. There is just too much of lab compare and micro comparison plus users who just read into this results, criticise and drive makers to accelerate their product release. I think the blame is wider than just the makers.Every time a camera comes out, you can see one of the fan clubs (Canon/Nikon, now maybe Sony) criticising the other makers to catch up. Not to forgot the pro-reviewers. Oh, this camera has fall short of one megapixel…Imaging tech R&D is high tech business and it involves precision engineering. Then you have the users who want the mechanical precision of the Film days with new IT tech with lower price.

Really? I wonder, who started this habit of releasing new models each year? The only reason for it was that vendors wanted to make even more money by transforming cameras in disposabe gadgets. Make more, sell more, and encourage an environment of fans and gadget freaks that will buy your incremental and cosmetic changes as if they were ground-breaking inventions.

So, don't blame the "victims" ;-) ("fans") for the manufacturers' greed. And who cares if quality drops? Consumers will buy the next model anyway, and in two years nobody will remember that that particular version of the (basically the same) camera had an annoying flaw.

This is manufacturing-101. Nothing gets more basic or simpler than this problem! When you design a product, you check clearances, and use the correct lubricants (whether solid, liquid or gel, and in the right amounts). With modern materials science, you have access to much more materials, much better information. With CAD you can check clearances and collisions before you even make it, and you are able to create more precise products than ever before. And manufacturing, testing, measurements, and quality control, with knowledge and experience, are better than they have ever been in the history of mankind. There is absolutely no defending this defect. And you don't even know for how long this camera was in the planning... the top end products don't change nearly as frequently as the lower end ones.

I suspect the oil is coming from the shutter assembly. It might be a new design and nobody had the mind to do a longer test to see if there is an oil spray problem in it, or the units are assembled with too much oil or with oil not sticky enough. Careless design project control in any case. Problem might go away with time after excess oil has splattered away or dried a bit, but taking the camera for cleaning for a few times is annoying, especially if you have to pay for it.

During the film era this would not have mattered at all, as oil did not accumulate on anything.

That was the same problem with the first launch of the D7000 almost 2 years ago, my D7000 sensor picked up many black points on the left, I told this problem to my camera seller, he did not admitting this issue by accusing that the dust coming from changing lenses... Later, I got known that the black points were OIL and not dust.

Just want to pass to FX camera to purchasing a D600 body but hesitate by many complains from D600 users.

I'm not a canon fan at all - I always viewed them as charging a premium for just the name. However, if this issue is truly as widespread on so many of their higher-end models as people here are reporting, it is definitely a motivation and very valid reason to move on to the competition.

"We covered this issue in our in-depth review of the D600, last year."From the review final page "We're working with Nikon to understand (and further test) this issue and we'll update this review accordingly as we use the camera over time."

First off the problem seems to be OIL and NOT dust. Big difference. The other point is that I see you did consider this issue in your D600 review and yet you awarded it your GOLD AWARD. I cannot see how one can recommend this camera with this problem - it was prevalent in the model you tested, yet you gave it one of your highest ratings for a DSLR. Now you will understand why I never look at DP review for buying choices, I just come for news. How can anyone trust your reviews, when you have highly recommended a camera that probably has a serious design flaw, even when you picked it in your test model. Your high rating is that with oil or without? (a la Mc Donalds combo)

Exactly the point I made when they rated there Canon 6d silver, not to contest the silver but to challenge the gold for the D600. And while we are at it, Nikon when will you formally admit an internal packaging design mistake, in semicon speak? Come on guys it is bleeding obvious.

I have to agree with wilmark that if under real field condition the camera spreads oil everywhere...then it seriously deteriorated it's overall IQ...despite this IQ being very good once you clean your sensor...again and again.

Vignes...I have a D7000 and was thinking of swiching FF with this D600...but I got stoped by this issue, mainly.Since now they announced the D7100 and improved so many things from D7000...I know feel I did the right thing not to invest into a D600. The more I see the D600...so more I see a simple D7000 with only an FF sensor in it. That is not an improvement and when I see what is ready for the D7100 I feel this D600 is a pure joke in the end...especially at its price.

The D600 is leaps and bounds better then the D7000. From, ergos to IQ to AF capabilities. The D600 was never a "FF shoved into a D7000 body" as so many claimed, it was a entirely new platform. It borrows the D7Ks AF modual but that's about it and it's obvious that is has been tweaked. As far as ergos, it can now be said that the D7100 is a crop sensor floating around in a D600 body as it is now the same shell be most accounts.

The lubricant/dust issue is no different then what I experienced with my D7000 so when it arises I'm an expert in dealing with Nikons lack of quality control(my choice, I new about the issue).

Was the D600 worth the price premium over the D600? No question for me, hell yes!

At least Nikon finally acknowledged this D600 issue. I'm not sure the Company ever admitted anything about so many of those D80 cameras that "developed" mysterious sensor spots after a few thousand clicks of the shutter.

I had a D600 before but sold it eventually because of this issue. At first I never mind the dust in the sensor because I can clean it right away but when the oil spot shows, I'm getting frustrations in cleaning the sensor. And Nikon service center here charge for cleaning eventhough I bought the units from them, though the price of their cleaning is haft the price against the grey units that wasn't bought from them. That was before they admit that the dust are coming from the inside and not because in changing lenses. Now they have free cleaning service for 2 years until the warranty expires. I hope I didn't sold it in the first place.

But before I acquired these D600. I never looked at the LCD for every image I took. When the dust starts to appear, I have this insecure feeling in every image I took and feel like I have to look at the LCD and IQ every time I press the shutter.

Nikon knew of this problem early in the release of the D600 and yet was mute. Nikon needs to treat its customers with the respect that they rightly deserve and stand behind their product from Day 1 -- not Day 180.

I've been a Nikon fan since buying my Nikon FA film SLR back in the '80s. I've had a D50, D70s and D80, which I still have. I've read of the frustrations of D7000 owners with oil drops and now problems with the D600 and D800. Something is seriously wrong and as much as I might like to upgrade to the D7100, I sure wouldn't do it until I could reasonably expect it to not have these kinds of dust and oil problems. Maybe Canon and Sony have their unique problems, but I think Nikon is starting to suffer some credibility problems as a leader in the field.

This is disappointing from two aspects. The first is that a newly designed (and expensive) camera would have this problem. I have a Canon 5d (an original) which has never been cleaned and which has no dust removal function and it has less dust than the DPR D600 photo shows. I expect that I change lens at about a typical photographe'rs rate.The other is how poorly Nikon has responded. Surely they could have been more responsive and responsible toward their customers.

Well, what I have learned from this debacle is that I should wait at least six months before I buy a new camera or lens. And not just from Nikon; this sort of thing also happens to other companies.

One of the great things about the Internet is that it is easy to find actual user reviews about gear that has been used for a period of time under a variety of conditions. Most editorial reviewers do not have the luxury to shoot thousands of images over a period of weeks...

If you get sucked-in by the marketing hype these days you are sometimes doing beta testing for the manufacturer.

Reminds me of Apple. When the "antennae gate" issue occurred with the iPhone 4 and Bill Gates emailed someone to "just don't hold it that way". Now there is this obvious problem with the camera and Nikon basically says, "Just blow it".

I'm not turning this into a Nikon vs Canon debate, but way back when I decided to up my gear to DSLRs, I knew three people who used Nikons, and while they loved their cameras, they *hated* Nikon customer/tech support - all three of them. I decided to try out Canon because I value good support almost as much as the gear itself, and when I had a problem I was amazed how incredibly professional and good Canon's support was, while I continued to hear horror stories from my friends about bad experiences having to deal with Nikon, even today.

No doubt the D600 takes great photos and Nikons are on par with Canon in terms of cameras, but dismissive statements about an obvious issue don't give customers confidence in the product.

The thing with the iPhone 4 antenna issue is it wasn't a show stopper. Even on the rare occasion I induced it it still didn't drop the call. And the issue was mute if you put a discrete Apple cover around the rim of the handset.

If the Nikon D600 issue was so easily remedied there wouldn't be as big an issue and I'd have purchased one by now.

Why? There is no reason to do a recall as no ones safety is at risk. Plus the number of affected cameras can't be more than like 30% or so. Also new D800s currently coming off the assembly line appear to have the issues fixed. The most that makes sense is letting customers send in their cameras for a free repair.

No it's not. A recall is issued for a specific lot or production run almost exclusively for safety reasons. Telling people they have the option to send in a camera to have a minor manufacturing defect if they happen to have it fixed is not a recall.

If the were like "cameras with serial numbers xxxxx through yyyyyy have an issue and need to be sent in for a refund or repair" that would be a recall.

That was a safety issue (the high-energy-density batteries had an annoying tendency to get dangerously hot and potentially burst into flame -- the exact same circumstance as the recent Boeing fleet grounding caused by its lithium batteries, and the same as the laptop battery fiasco from a few years back). Similarly, the Canon body coating issue on the T4i/650D was a health and safety issue. Product recalls are all about health and safety.

Recalling either camera would actually be a disservice to the vast majority of Nikon's customers who bought these cameras as they have no problem and would feel compelled to send in their camera anyway because it is "recalled." it would also guarantee a loss instead of a profit for Nikon on both cameras which in this economic climate could be fatal. Small manufacturing issues like this are why warranties exist. They are not cause for a recall. If Nikon is fixing D600/D800s under warranty which they are or at least trying to, why is a recall even need or desired if not for no other reason than malice or revenge toward Nikon out some misguided feeling of self entitlement?

I'd really suggest DPR to amend their reviews with a production quality rating that's updated regularly. Pretty sure that some glorious gold award material would be less shiny after a while.

It's a real pity with Nikon nowadays. We really want to update the D300 in our Nikon gear at home. But this (once highly praised) camera makes enough trouble, so we are not prepared to risk any more annoyance. D800? AF issues. D600? Smeared sensors. In fact, our D300 proved to be much more prone to dirt on the sensor than our Canon DSLRs.

Looks like the old times of superior quality cameras from Nikon such as the legendary FM series are definitely over (we still have 3 FM-2 bodies, one worked even in the Siberian at -40 °C without any trouble). Currently I really prefer my Canon DSLRs with their less fancy sensors (in terms of DXO) because they simply do what they have to do without any smearing or snorting around.

Agree. We are waiting for the D300/s replacement AND the D700 replacement. the D7100, D600, D800/e are not that at all. I hope that the QA in Nikon restores itself when the D300/s and D700 replacements are announced.

Some manufacturers did "figured out how to make cameras that work all the time without leaving dust / oil / whatever, wherever."Nikon has the integrity to not go the Canon route, and steal ideals and rework patents directly from Olympus products.

Thats if Canon could ever be as successful as Olympus with their dust cleaning sensor system.